Gate locking device



March 23, 1954 H. s. sAcKETT GATE LOCKING DEVICE Filed May 11, 1953 IN V EN TOR. [Xena/ear 5'1 S/VCKETT W 4 flrrmw MEMF Patented Mar. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GATE LOCKING DEVICE Herbert S. Sackett, Windom, Minn.

Application May 11, 1953, Serial No. 354,146

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to fence gates and particularly to means for locking relatively long gates such as commonly used in farming where the gate must close a relatively wide opening in field fencing.

In field fencing it is desirable and frequently necessary to provide a wide entrance to the fenced area suitable for the passage of cattle herds, farm machinery and the like. Swinging gates for these openings are expensive and frequently impractical due to ground or snow clearance difficulties. It is accordingly a widely known practice for the farmer to improvise a flexible gate consisting of a section of the fence proper with an end bar or post at the free or swinging end to be attached to the adjacent end fence post by a pair of Wire loops or the like circling the fence post and adapted to receive the upper and lower ends of the bar to hold the gate taut.

In use, while the above described wire loop type of gate holding means might prove satisfactory under certain conditions, it is cumbersome and ofttimes difficult to operate and is not adapted to hold the gate section in the desired degree of rigidity and tautness between the two end fence posts. I have accordingly provided an improved means of locking such a flexible gate section.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved fence gate locking device adapted to readily lock or release the gate post relative to the end fence post by a single onearmed operation by the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking device for a flexible gate adapted to pull and hold the gate taut regardless of its length.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a gate locking device which may be operated with equal proficiency from either side of the fence in which the gate is used.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a gate locking device so designed as to prohibit breakage, interference or unwanted release by cattle or other animals restrained by the fence in which the gate is located.

With these and other objects in view my invention broadly comprises a keeper or looking member for pivotally mounting on the end fence post and having a pair of transversely spaced catch elements located one on either side of the post, a pair of lever handles on the member one on either side of the post for swinging it about its pivot axis to move the catch elements toward or away from the gate opening, a latch ele The above mentioned and still additional objects of the invention will be brought to light during the course of the following specification, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is an elevation of a gate section in a fence using my improved locking device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device in unlocked condition showing the latch in broken lines removed from engagement with the locking member.

Fig. 3 is a plan view taken on line 33 of Fi 2.

Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 2 but shows the mechanism in locked condition.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 showing a latch hook in engagement with its locking catch element.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, reference characters will be used to denote like parts and structural features in the different views. The fence It has end posts H and 12 which define a fence opening or gate-way for passage of animals, machinery or the like into or out of the area delineated by the fence. The opening is closed by a gate l3 which extends between the posts II and 12 having one end bar or post id hinged as at points IE to the fence post II and the opposing end bar [6 connected to the post l2 by my improved locking mechanism.

The locking device comprises a U-shaped catch member denoted generally at I! mounted on the gate end bar It and a keeper mechanism l8 mounted on the fence post I 2. The member 17 consists of a mounting plate l9 mounted vertically as by bolts 29 on the inner side of bar It about midway of its length and a pair of latch arms 2! extending outwardly in the general direction of fence post 12. As here shown a single strap formed in a generally U-shape may be used to provide both latch arms. Arms 25 are longitudinally parallel and transversely spaced a sufficient distance to freely receive the post I2 between them as they are moved forwardly. It will be noted 2) that each arm extends forwardly from plate 19 on a horizontal plane and then angles downwardly at 23 as shown with a downwardly projecting latch hook 24 formed at its forward end.

The locking mechanism denoted generally at 18 will now be described. A mounting plate 25 is fixed to the outer side of post 12 medially thereon as by bolts 26 and integrally carries an elongated transverse tubular bearing 21. A shaft 28 is journaled in bearing 27 and has fixed to its ends for rotation therewith a pair of parallel catch arms 29 which are transversely spaced apart a slightly greater distance than are the arms 2|. These arms each carry adjacent its I5 locked beside the fence post I2.

swinging end a catch element 30 adapted for seating in the hook portion 24 of the arm 2|. These catches have enlarged heads as shown to insure a substantially flush engagement between the arms 2| and 29 at all times.

A pair of elongated handles 32 are provided one on each of the arms 29 to extend radially from the swinging axis of the arms. It will be observed (Fig. 1) that these handles 32 have a length several times that of the arms 29 so as to afford great leverage for moving any load placed on the catch elements 30.

In operation with the components I1 and I8 mounted as shown and in separated condition the arm 29 will automatically project toward the gate in latch receiving position (Fig. 2), the weight of the handles causing them to hang downwardly as shown. The member 11 is brought to the position shown in broken lines and then lowered between bars 29 so that the hooks 29 will fall over and engage the catch elements 30. Handle 32 is then swung upwardly toward the gate about its axis 28 until it reaches the upwardly extending position. With this movement arms 29 are swung over their axis to the locked position shown in Fig. 1 moving the catch elements twice the distance they are spaced from the swinging axis and moving the latch arms and bar I5 forward the same distance. This draws the gate to a taut condition with bar Movement of the handles 32 beyond its upright position is prohibited as at that point the latch arms 2| contact the upper surface of the bearing 21.

The bend in the latch arms as at 23 allows the catch-hook connection to be carried just over the center line running through the axis of shaft 28 and the vertical point of pulling force on the gate post. Accordingly the tension of the gate is transmitted to the catch-hook connection in a line below said center line to automatically hold the fastening device in locked condition until return force is applied to handle 32. To unlock the gate the handle is merely swung downwardly toward the gate to its original position and the arms in position when the gate is to be locked.

It will be understood that when the gate is locked the bar I5 will be supported very rigidly. This is due to the four-point contact between the locking device l8 and the latch member I1,

the hooks 24 being held firmly at each side of the post I2 by the catch elements and each lever arm being held tightly against the bearing 21.

The primary advantage of my improved fastening device over the conventional top and bottom loops is readily apparent. The single connection at the center of the posts I5 and I2 simplifies the locking and unlocking operations. Furthermore, the gate being pulled from the center of its swinging end insures uniform tautness throughout the height of the gate.

It is found that the operating handle extending upwardly is in an out-of-the-way position so as to be insusceptible to movement in an unlocking direction by animals and requires such force to lift the bars 29 over dead center as to normally require positive manual movement by an operator. The device is simple in construction and may be mounted on the fence with a minimum of effort.

vThe: invention described accordingly efliciently and economically carries out the aforementioned objectives. It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desired to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A gate locking device comprising a latch member having a generally U-shape with an engageable projection at each of its spaced ends, and a locking mechanism comprising a mounting plate, a shaft journaled for axial rotation on the mounting plate, a pair of lever members fixed one on each end of the shaft, each of said members having a catch arm section and a relatively longer handle section connected together and. fixed to the shaft at the point of their connection, said sections disposed for movement on a common plane as the shaft is rotated, the catch arms at each end of the shaft extending parallel to each other from the shaft, and each of said arms carrying on its extended end a catch means adapted to releasably engage one of said projections, said catch means being located equidistant from the shaft axis and being relatively spaced substantially the same as the spaced ends on the latch member.

2. A gate locking device comprising a latch member adapted to be mounted on a gate with a pair of transversely spaced latch hooks projecting beyond the swinging end of the gate, a lever device for mounting on the adjacent gate post and releasably engaging said hooks, said lever device comprising a shaft journaled on the post for rotation on a transverse axis, a pair of parallel catch arms fixed one to each end of the shaft to extend toward the gate, each of said arms having a catch element at its extended end for locking engagement with the adjacent hook, and a pair of elongated parallel handles one fixed to each of said catch arms and located on opposite sides of the post each adapted for swinging both arms about the shaft axis to a position extending away from the gate.

3. In a locking device for a gate mounted for swinging opening and closing movement between two spaced fence posts and having a vertical end bar on its swinging end, a latch member adapted to be mounted rigidly at a longitudinally central point on the bar and having a pair of transversely spaced independent latch means for lying endwise beyond the swinging end of the gate, a keeper mechanism for mounting on the fence post adjacent the swinging end of the gate, said keeper mechanism having a pair of transversely spaced parallel catch arms mounted one on each side of the post for swinging movement between positions extending toward and away from the end bar and each bearing at its extended end catch means adapted for releasable locking engagement with the adjacent latch means, said catch arms integrally related to swing as a unit, and a pair of independent handles one associated with the catch arm on each side of the post for swinging the unit.

HERBERT S. SACKETT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,734,282 White Nov. 5, 1929 2,575,947 Etnyre Nov. 20, 195i 

